Best Management Practices for Combined Sewer Overflows

Annual Report

In accordance with the Section VIII of the SPDES permits for the fourteen New York City municipal wastewater treatment plants, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has prepared this Annual Report describing DEP’s ongoing program related to the Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs). The thirteen BMPs listed in the SPDES permits follow the national CSO Control Policy’s Nine Minimum Control Measures.

The BMPs are designed to reduce water quality impacts from CSOs by optimizing operation and maintenance procedures, by using existing treatment facilities and the wastewater collection system to their maximum extent practicable, and to implement related sewer retrofits and replacements. Major capital investments and larger-scale drainage planning efforts to reduce CSOs are covered by related programs, including Water-body/Watershed Facility Plans and ultimately Long Term Control Plans.

This report is divided into 13 sections, one for each of the BMPs in the SPDES permit. Each section of this report describes ongoing DEP programs, provides statistics for Calendar Year 2011 initiatives, and discusses overall environmental improvements.